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{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
{{Infobox disease |
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
Name = Phimosis |
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
Image = |
DiseasesDB = 10019 |
| name = Phimosis
ICD10 = {{ICD10|N|47||n|40}} |
| field = [[Italajes]]
| pronounce = {{IPAc-en|f|ɪ|ˈ|m|oʊ|s|ᵻ|s}} or {{IPAc-en|f|aɪ|ˈ|m|oʊ|s|ᵻ|s}}<ref>''[[OED]]'' 2nd edition, 1989 as {{IPA|/faɪˈməʊsɪs/}}.</ref><ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phimosis Entry "phimosis"] in ''[http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922151722/https://www.merriam-webster.com/ |date=2017-09-22 }}''.</ref>
ICD9 = {{ICD9|605}} |
| symptoms = Unable to pull the [[foreskin]] back past the [[glans penis|glans]]<ref name=Pub2016/>
ICDO = |
| complications = [[Balanitis]],<ref name=Pub2016/> [[penile cancer]] {{citation needed|date=October 2021}}, [[urinary retention]]
OMIM = |
| onset = Normal at birth<ref name=Pub2016/>
MedlinePlus = |
| duration = Typically resolves by 18 years old<ref name = "Peaceful_Parenting">{{cite web | title = Natural Foreskin Retraction in Intact Children and Teens | url = http://www.drmomma.org/2008/04/natural-foreskin-retraction-in-intact.html | work = Peaceful Parenting }}</ref>
eMedicineSubj = emerg |
| types =
eMedicineTopic = 423 |
| causes = Normal, balanitis, [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]]<ref name=Mc2007/>
MeshID = D010688 |
| risks = [[Diaper rash]], poor cleaning, [[diabetes]]<ref name=Five2014>{{cite book| vauthors = Domino FJ, Baldor RA, Golding J |title=The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2014|date=2013|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=978-1-4511-8850-9|page=138|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2C2MAwAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA138|language=en}}</ref>
| diagnosis =
| differential = [[Hair tourniquet]], [[lymphedema]] of the penis<ref name=Five2014/>
| prevention = [[corticosteroid|Steroid cream]], stretching exercises, [[circumcision]]<ref name=IQ2015/>
| treatment =
| medication =
| prognosis =
| frequency = 1%–2% (in uncircumcised males 18 years or older)<ref>{{cite web | title = Phimosis | url = https://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/for-professionals/alleged-medical-benefits/phimosis-balantis/ | work = Doctors Opposing Circumcision | date = 6 July 2016 }}</ref><ref name = "Peaceful_Parenting" />
| deaths =
| alt =
}}
}}
<!-- Definition and symptoms -->
'''Phimosis''' (from [[Greek language|Greek]] φίμωσις ''phimōsis'' 'muzzling'<ref>{{LSJ|fi/mwsis|φίμωσις}}, {{LSJ|fimo/s|φιμός|ref}}.</ref><ref>{{OEtymD|phimosis}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite book| vauthors = Kirk RH, Winslet MC |title=Essential General Surgical Operations|date=2007|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-0-443-10314-8|page=365|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4bUKXR508wC&pg=PA365|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105195215/https://books.google.com/books?id=T4bUKXR508wC&pg=PA365|archive-date=2017-11-05}}</ref>) is a condition in which the [[foreskin]] of the [[Human penis|penis]] cannot stretch to allow it to be pulled back past the [[Glans penis|glans]].<ref name=Pub2016/> A balloon-like swelling under the foreskin may occur with urination.<ref name=Pub2016/> In teenagers and adults, it may result in pain during an [[erection]], but is otherwise not painful.<ref name=Pub2016/> Those affected are at greater risk of inflammation of the glans, known as [[balanitis]], and other complications.<ref name=Pub2016>{{cite web|title=Phimosis|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0027067/|website=PubMed Health|access-date=28 October 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105195215/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0027067/|archive-date=5 November 2017}}</ref>
<!-- Cause and diagnosis -->
In infancy, phimosis is considered physiological (normal).<ref name=":0" /> At birth, the foreskin is naturally adhered to the glans, and cannot be retracted. As the child ages, in most cases, the foreskin will naturally detach. In young boys, it is normal not to be able to pull back the foreskin at all.<ref name=IQ2015/> Over 90% of cases resolve by the age of seven, although full retraction is still prevented by balanopreputial adhesions in over half at this age.<ref name=Mc2007>{{cite journal | vauthors = McGregor TB, Pike JG, Leonard MP | title = Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: approach to the phimotic foreskin | journal = Canadian Family Physician | volume = 53 | issue = 3 | pages = 445–8 | date = March 2007 | pmid = 17872680 | pmc = 1949079 }}</ref><ref name=IQ2015/> Occasionally, phimosis may be caused by an underlying condition such as scarring due to balanitis or [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]].<ref name=Mc2007/> This can typically be diagnosed by seeing scarring of the opening of the foreskin.<ref name=Mc2007/>


<!-- Treatment and history -->
[[Image:Phimosis Penis.jpg|thumb|An erect penis with phimosis]]
Generally, treatment is not considered necessary unless the foreskin still cannot be retracted by the age of 18.<ref name = "Peaceful_Parenting" /> Efforts to pull back the foreskin during the early years of a young male's life should not be attempted.<ref name=IQ2015/> For those in whom the condition does not improve further, time can be given or a [[corticosteroid|steroid cream]] may be used to attempt to loosen the tight skin.<ref name=IQ2015/> If this method, combined with stretching exercises, is not effective, then other treatments such as [[circumcision]] may be recommended.<ref name=IQ2015>{{cite web|title=What are the treatment options for phimosis?|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK326433/|website=PubMed Health|publisher=Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care|access-date=28 October 2016|date=7 October 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105195215/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0079408/|archive-date=5 November 2017}}</ref> A potential complication of phimosis is [[paraphimosis]], where the tight foreskin becomes trapped behind the glans.<ref name=Mc2007/>
[[Image:Erect phimosis.jpg|thumb|]]
'''Phimosis''' (fī-mō'sĭs, fĭ-), from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''phimos'' ({{unicode|φῑμός}} ("muzzle")), is a condition where, in men, the [[foreskin|male foreskin]] cannot be fully retracted from the head of the [[penis]]. The term may also refer to ''clitoral phimosis'' in women, whereby the [[clitoral hood]] cannot be retracted, limiting exposure of the [[glans clitoris]].<ref>[http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14169421 The prevalence of phimosis of the clitoris in women presenting to the sexual dysfunction clinic: Lack of correlation to disorders of desire, arousal and orgasm]</ref>


==Signs and symptoms==
In the [[infant|neonatal period]], it is rare for the foreskin to be retractable; Huntley ''et al.'' state that "non-retractability can be considered normal for males up to and including adolescence."<ref name="huntley2003"/> Rickwood, as well as other authors, has suggested that true phimosis is over-diagnosed due to failure to distinguish between normal developmental non-retractability and a pathological condition (a condition deemed a problem).<ref name="Rickwood1989"/> Some authors use the terms "physiologic" and "pathologic" to distinguish between these types of phimosis;<ref name="mcgregor2007">{{cite journal |author=McGregor TB, Pike JG, Leonard MP |title=Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: approach to the phimotic foreskin |journal=Can Fam Physician |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=445–8 |year=2007 |month=March |pmid=17872680 |pmc=1949079 |doi= |url=http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=17872680}}</ref> others use the term "non-retractile foreskin" to distinguish this developmental condition from (pathologic) phimosis.<ref name="Rickwood1989"/>
At birth, the inner layer of the [[foreskin]] is sealed to the [[glans penis]]. The foreskin is usually non-retractable in early childhood, and some males may reach the age of 18 before their foreskin can be fully retracted.<ref name = "shahid">{{cite journal | vauthors = Shahid SK | title = Phimosis in children | journal = ISRN Urology | volume = 2012 | pages = 707329 | date = 5 March 2012 | pmid = 23002427 | pmc = 3329654 | doi = 10.5402/2012/707329 | doi-access = free }}</ref>


Medical associations advise not to retract the foreskin of an infant, in order to prevent scarring.<ref name=AAP>{{cite web |url= http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/bathing-skin-care/Pages/Care-for-an-Uncircumcised-Penis.aspx |title= Care of the Uncircumcised Penis |work= Guide for parents |publisher= American Academy of Pediatrics |date= September 2007 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120830054204/http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/bathing-skin-care/Pages/Care-for-an-Uncircumcised-Penis.aspx |archive-date= 2012-08-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/circumcision |title= Caring for an uncircumcised penis |work= Information for parents |publisher= Canadian Paediatric Society |date= July 2012 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120716054727/http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/circumcision |archive-date= 2012-07-16 }}</ref> Some argue that non-retractability may "be considered normal for males up to and including adolescence."<ref name="huntley2003">{{cite journal | vauthors = Huntley JS, Bourne MC, Munro FD, Wilson-Storey D | title = Troubles with the foreskin: one hundred consecutive referrals to paediatric surgeons | journal = Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine | volume = 96 | issue = 9 | pages = 449–51 | date = September 2003 | pmid = 12949201 | pmc = 539600 | doi = 10.1177/014107680309600908 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Denniston GC, Hill G | title = Gairdner was wrong | journal = Canadian Family Physician | volume = 56 | issue = 10 | pages = 986–7 | date = October 2010 | pmid = 20944034 | pmc = 2954072 | url = http://www.cfp.ca/content/56/10/986.2.long | access-date = 2014-04-05 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923202126/http://www.cfp.ca/content/56/10/986.2.long | archive-date = 2015-09-23 }}</ref> Hill states that full retractability of the foreskin may not be achieved until late childhood or early adulthood.<ref name="Hill2003">{{cite journal | vauthors = Hill G | title = Circumcision for phimosis and other medical indications in Western Australian boys | journal = The Medical Journal of Australia | volume = 178 | issue = 11 | pages = 587; author reply 589–90 | date = June 2003 | pmid = 12765511 | doi = 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05368.x | url = http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/178_11_020603/matters_arising_020603-1.html | url-status = live | s2cid = 11588415 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080830180655/https://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/178_11_020603/matters_arising_020603-1.html | archive-date = 2008-08-30 }}</ref> A Danish survey found that the mean age of first foreskin retraction is 10.4 years.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Thorvaldsen MA, Meyhoff HH | title = [Pathological or physiological phimosis?] | journal = Ugeskrift for Laeger | volume = 167 | issue = 17 | pages = 1858–62 | date = April 2005 | pmid = 15929334 | pmc = | doi = | url = http://www.phimosis.ca/VP44785.pdf | url-status = dead | access-date = 2012-12-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160207060238/http://www.phimosis.ca/VP44785.pdf | archive-date = 2016-02-07 }}</ref>
Pathological (acquired) phimosis has several causes. [[Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus]] (thought to be the same condition as [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]]), is regarded as a common (or even the main<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bolla G, Sartore G, Longo L, Rossi C |title=[The sclero-atrophic lichen as principal cause of acquired phimosis in pediatric age] |language=Italian |journal=Pediatr Med Chir |volume=27 |issue=3-4 |pages=91–3 |year=2005 |pmid=16910457 |doi= |url=}}</ref>) cause of pathological phimosis.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Buechner SA |title=Common skin disorders of the penis |journal=BJU Int. |volume=90 |issue=5 |pages=498–506 |year=2002 |month=September |pmid=12175386 |doi= 10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.02962.x|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=1464-4096&date=2002&volume=90&issue=5&spage=498}}</ref> Other causes may include: [[scarring]] caused by [[forcible retraction of the foreskin]],<ref name="mcgregor2007"/> and balanitis.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Edwards S |title=Balanitis and balanoposthitis: a review |journal=Genitourin Med |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=155–9 |year=1996 |month=June |pmid=8707315 |pmc=1195642 |doi= |url=}}</ref> Beauge found that patients with phimosis had masturbation practices that differed from the usual pulling down of the foreskin that mimics [[sexual intercourse]].<ref name="Beauge1997">{{cite journal |author=Beaugé M |title=The causes of adolescent phimosis |journal=Br J Sex Med |volume=26 |issue=Sept/Oct |pages= |year=1997 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/beauge2/}}</ref> Some studies found phimosis to be a risk factor for [[urinary retention]]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Minagawa T, Murata Y |title=[A case of urinary retention caused by true phimosis] |language=Japanese |journal=Hinyokika Kiyo |volume=54 |issue=6 |pages=427–9 |year=2008 |month=June |pmid=18634440 |doi= |url=}}</ref> and [[carcinoma of the penis]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Daling JR, Madeleine MM, Johnson LG, ''et al.'' |title=Penile cancer: importance of circumcision, human papillomavirus and smoking in in situ and invasive disease |journal=Int. J. Cancer |volume=116 |issue=4 |pages=606–16 |year=2005 |month=September |pmid=15825185 |doi=10.1002/ijc.21009 |url=}}</ref> Common treatments include [[steroid]] creams, [[praeputioplasty|Preputioplasty]], manual stretching, and [[circumcision]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Steadman B, Ellsworth P |title=To circ or not to circ: indications, risks, and alternatives to circumcision in the pediatric population with phimosis |journal=Urol Nurs |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=181–94 |year=2006 |month=June |pmid=16800325 |doi= |url=}}</ref>


Rickwood, as well as other authors, has suggested that true phimosis is over-diagnosed due to failure to distinguish between normal developmental non-retractability and a pathological condition.<ref name="Rickwood1989">{{cite journal | vauthors = Rickwood AM, Walker J | title = Is phimosis overdiagnosed in boys and are too many circumcisions performed in consequence? | journal = Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England | volume = 71 | issue = 5 | pages = 275–7 | date = September 1989 | pmid = 2802472 | pmc = 2499015 | quote = Authors review English referral statistics and suggest phimosis is overdiagnosed, especially in boys under 5 years, because of confusion with developmentally nonretractile foreskin. }}</ref><ref name="Spilsbury2003">{{cite journal | vauthors = Spilsbury K, Semmens JB, Wisniewski ZS, Holman CD | title = Circumcision for phimosis and other medical indications in Western Australian boys | journal = The Medical Journal of Australia | volume = 178 | issue = 4 | pages = 155–8 | date = February 2003 | pmid = 12580740 | doi = 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05130.x | url = http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/178_04_170203/spi10278_fm.html | url-status = live | s2cid = 9842095 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041109091624/http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/178_04_170203/spi10278_fm.html | archive-date = 2004-11-09 }}. Recent Australian statistics with good discussion of ascertainment problems arising from surgical statistics.</ref><ref name="vanHowe1998">{{cite journal | vauthors = Van Howe RS | title = Cost-effective treatment of phimosis | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 102 | issue = 4 | pages = E43 | date = October 1998 | pmid = 9755280 | doi = 10.1542/peds.102.4.e43 | url = http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/102/4/e43 | url-status = live | doi-access = free | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090819103253/http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/102/4/e43 | archive-date = 2009-08-19 }} A review of estimated costs and complications of 3 phimosis treatments (topical steroids, praeputioplasty, and surgical circumcision). The review concludes that topical steroids should be tried first, and praeputioplasty has advantages over surgical circumcision. This article also provides a good discussion of the difficulty distinguishing pathological from physiological phimosis in young children and alleges inflation of phimosis statistics for purposes of securing insurance coverage for post-neonatal circumcision in the United States.</ref> Some authors use the terms "physiologic" and "pathologic" to distinguish between these types of phimosis;<ref name="mcgregor2007">{{cite journal | vauthors = McGregor TB, Pike JG, Leonard MP | title = Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: approach to the phimotic foreskin | journal = Canadian Family Physician | volume = 53 | issue = 3 | pages = 445–8 | date = March 2007 | pmid = 17872680 | pmc = 1949079 | url = http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=17872680 }}</ref> others use the term "non-retractile foreskin" to distinguish this developmental condition from pathologic phimosis.<ref name="Rickwood1989" />
rectum screw


In some cases, a cause may not be clear, or it may be difficult to distinguish physiological phimosis from pathological phimosis if an infant appears to have discomfort while urinating or demonstrates obvious ballooning of the foreskin. However, ballooning does not indicate urinary obstruction.<ref name="Babu2004">{{cite journal | vauthors = Babu R, Harrison SK, Hutton KA | title = Ballooning of the foreskin and physiological phimosis: is there any objective evidence of obstructed voiding? | journal = BJU International | volume = 94 | issue = 3 | pages = 384–7 | date = August 2004 | pmid = 15291873 | doi = 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2004.04935.x | s2cid = 32118768 }}</ref>
==Pathological/Acquired phimosis==


In women, a comparable condition is known as "clitoral phimosis", whereby the [[clitoral hood]] cannot be retracted, limiting exposure of the [[Clitoris#Glans|glans clitoridis]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Munarriz R, Talakoub L, Kuohung W, Gioia M, Hoag L, Flaherty E, Min K, Choi S, Goldstein I | title = The prevalence of phimosis of the clitoris in women presenting to the sexual dysfunction clinic: lack of correlation to disorders of desire, arousal and orgasm | journal = Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy | volume = 28 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = 181–5 | year = 2002 | pmid = 11898701 | doi = 10.1080/00926230252851302 | s2cid = 45521652 }}</ref>
Pathological phimosis (as opposed to the natural non-retractability of the foreskin) in childhood is rare and the causes are varied. Some cases may arise from [[balanitis]] (inflammation of the glans penis), perhaps due in turn to inappropriate efforts to separate and retract an infant foreskin. Other cases of non-retractile foreskin may be caused by preputial stenosis or narrowness that prevents retraction, by fusion of the foreskin with the glans penis in children, or by [[frenulum breve]], which prevents retraction. In some cases a cause may not be clear, or it may be difficult to distinguish physiological phimosis from pathological if an infant appears to be in pain with urination or has obvious ballooning of the foreskin with urination or apparent discomfort. However, even ballooning does not always indicate urinary obstruction.<ref name="Babu2004">{{cite journal |author=Babu R, Harrison SK, Hutton KA |title=Ballooning of the foreskin and physiological phimosis: is there any objective evidence of obstructed voiding? |journal=BJU Int. |volume=94 |issue=3 |pages=384–7 |year=2004 |pmid=15291873 |doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2004.04935.x |url=}}</ref>
[[File:Congenital phimosis in an Asian male.jpg|thumb|A male with congenital phimosis]]


===Severity===
Phimosis in older children and adults can vary in severity, with some men able to retract their foreskin partially ("relative phimosis"), and some completely unable to retract their foreskin even in the flaccid state ("full phimosis").
* Score 1: full retraction of foreskin, tight behind the glans.
* Score 2: partial exposure of glans, prepuce (not congenital adhesions) limiting factor.
* Score 3: partial retraction, meatus just visible.
* Score 4: slight retraction, but some distance between tip and glans, i.e. neither meatus nor glans can be exposed.
* Score 5: absolutely no retraction of the foreskin.<ref>{{Cite journal| vauthors = Kikiros CS, Beasley SW, Woodward AA | date = 1993-05-01| title = The response of phimosis to local steroid application| url = https://www.fimose.org/artigos/graus/kikiros.pdf| journal = Pediatric Surgery International| language = en| volume = 8| issue = 4| pages = 329–332| doi = 10.1007/BF00173357| s2cid = 28662055| issn = 0179-0358| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304143022/https://www.fimose.org/artigos/graus/kikiros.pdf| archive-date = 2016-03-04}}</ref>


==Cause==
When phimosis develops in an uncircumcised adult who was previously able to retract his foreskin, it is nearly always due to a pathological cause, and is far more likely to cause problems for the man.
There are three mechanical conditions that prevent foreskin retraction:


:* The tip of the foreskin is too narrow to pass over the [[glans penis]]. This is normal in children and adolescents.<ref name="kayaba">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kayaba H, Tamura H, Kitajima S, Fujiwara Y, Kato T, Kato T | title = Analysis of shape and retractability of the prepuce in 603 Japanese boys | journal = The Journal of Urology | volume = 156 | issue = 5 | pages = 1813–5 | date = November 1996 | pmid = 8863623 | pmc = | doi = 10.1016/S0022-5347(01)65544-7 }}</ref><ref name="Øster1968">{{cite journal | vauthors = Oster J | title = Further fate of the foreskin. Incidence of preputial adhesions, phimosis, and smegma among Danish schoolboys | journal = Archives of Disease in Childhood | volume = 43 | issue = 228 | pages = 200–3 | date = April 1968 | pmid = 5689532 | pmc = 2019851 | doi = 10.1136/adc.43.228.200 }}</ref>
Beaugé noted that unusual [[masturbation]] practices, such as lying face down on a bed and rubbing the penis against the [[mattress]], may cause phimosis. Patients are advised to stop the exacerbating masturbation techniques and are encouraged to masturbate by moving the foreskin up and down so as to mimic more closely the action of [[sexual intercourse]]. After giving this advice Beaugé noted not once did he have to recommend circumcision.<ref name="Beauge1997"/><ref name="Beauge1991">{{cite journal | last = Beaugé | first = Michel | year = 1991 | month = | title = Conservative Treatment of Primary Phimosis in Adolescents | journal = Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Antoine University | url = http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/beauge/}}</ref>
:
:* The inner surface of the foreskin is fused with the glans penis. This is normal in children and adolescents but abnormal in adults.<ref name="Øster1968"/>
:
:* The [[Frenulum of prepuce of penis|frenulum]] is too short to allow complete retraction of the foreskin (a condition called [[frenulum breve]]).<ref name="Øster1968"/>
Pathological phimosis (as opposed to the natural non-retractability of the foreskin in childhood) is rare, and the causes are varied. Some cases may arise from [[balanitis]] (inflammation of the glans penis).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Edwards S | title = Balanitis and balanoposthitis: a review | journal = Genitourinary Medicine | volume = 72 | issue = 3 | pages = 155–9 | date = June 1996 | pmid = 8707315 | pmc = 1195642 | doi = 10.1136/sti.72.3.155 }}</ref>


[[Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus]] (thought to be the same condition as [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]]) is regarded as a common (or even the main)<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bolla G, Sartore G, Longo L, Rossi C | title = [The sclero-atrophic lichen as principal cause of acquired phimosis in pediatric age] | language = it | journal = La Pediatria Medica e Chirurgica | volume = 27 | issue = 3–4 | pages = 91–3 | year = 2005 | pmid = 16910457 }}</ref> cause of pathological phimosis.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Buechner SA | title = Common skin disorders of the penis | journal = BJU International | volume = 90 | issue = 5 | pages = 498–506 | date = September 2002 | pmid = 12175386 | doi = 10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.02962.x | s2cid = 45605100 }}</ref> This is a skin condition of unknown origin that causes a whitish ring of indurated tissue (a [[scar|cicatrix]]) to form near the tip of the prepuce. This inelastic tissue prevents retraction.
One cause of acquired, pathological phimosis is chronic [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]] (BXO), a skin condition of unknown origin that causes a whitish ring of indurated tissue (a [[cicatrix]]) to form near the tip of the prepuce. This inelastic tissue prevents retraction. Some evidence suggests that BXO may be the same disease as [[lichen sclerosus et atrophicus]] of the vulva in females.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Laymon CW, Freeman C |title=Relationship of Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans to Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus |journal=Arch Dermat Syph |volume=49 |issue= |pages=57–9 |year=1944 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/BXO/laymon1/}}</ref> Infectious, inflammatory, and hormonal factors have all been implicated or proposed as contributing factors.


Phimosis may occur after other types of chronic inflammation (e.g., [[balanoposthitis]]), repeated [[Urinary catheterization|catheterization]], or forceful foreskin retraction.<ref name="Cantu" />
Phimosis may occur after other types of chronic inflammation (such as [[balanoposthitis]]), repeated [[Urinary catheterization|catheterization]], or forcible foreskin retraction.<ref name="Cantu">Cantu Jr. S. {{eMedicine|emerg|423|Phimosis and paraphimosis}}</ref>


Phimosis may also arise in diabetics due to the presence of glucose in their urine giving rise to infection in the foreskin.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bromage |first=Stephen J. |authorlink= |coauthors=Anne Crump and Ian Pearce |year= 2008|month= |title=Phimosis as a presenting feature of diabetes |journal=BJU International |volume=101 |issue=3 |pages=338–340 |doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.07274.x |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118508219/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 |accessdate= |quote= }}</ref>
Phimosis may also arise in untreated diabetics due to the presence of glucose in their urine giving rise to infection in the foreskin.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Bromage SJ, Crump A, Pearce I | title = Phimosis as a presenting feature of diabetes | journal = BJU International | volume = 101 | issue = 3 | pages = 338–40 | date = February 2008 | pmid = 18005214 | doi = 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.07274.x | url = http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118508219/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 | url-status = dead | s2cid = 5694950 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130105075939/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118508219/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 | archive-date = 2013-01-05 }}</ref>


Beaugé noted that unusual [[masturbation]] practices, such as thrusting against the bed or rubbing the foreskin forward, may cause phimosis. Patients are advised to stop exacerbating masturbation techniques and are encouraged to masturbate by moving the foreskin up and down so as to mimic more closely the action of [[sexual intercourse]]. After giving this advice Beaugé noted not once did he have to recommend circumcision.<ref name="Beauge1997">{{cite journal |author=Beaugé M |title=The causes of adolescent phimosis |journal=Br J Sex Med |volume=26 |issue=Sept/Oct |pages= |year=1997 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/beauge2/}}</ref><ref name="Beauge1991">{{cite journal | last = Beaugé | first = Michel | year = 1991 | title = Conservative Treatment of Primary Phimosis in Adolescents | journal = Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Antoine University | url = http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/beauge/}}</ref>
==Potential complications of acquired phimosis==
Chronic complications of acquired (pathological) phimosis can include discomfort or pain during urination or sexual intercourse. The urinary stream can be impeded, resulting in dribbling and wetness after urination. Harmful [[urinary obstruction]] is possible but uncommon. Pain may occur when a partially retractable foreskin retracts during [[Sexual intercourse|intercourse]] and chokes the glans penis. A totally non-retractable foreskin is rarely painful. There is some evidence that phimosis may be a risk factor for [[penile cancer]].<ref>Willcourt RJ. [http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/eletters/321/7264/792#110919 Discussion of Rickwood et al. (2000)] BMJ.com e-letters, 30 June 2005.</ref>


Phimosis in older boys and adult males can vary in severity, with some able to retract their foreskin partially (relative phimosis), while others are completely unable to retract their foreskin, even when the penis is in a flaccid state (full phimosis).
The most acute complication is [[paraphimosis]] ([http://www.midori-clinic.or.jp/phimosis/palaphi.jpg Paraphimosis image]). In this acute condition, the glans is swollen and painful, and the foreskin is immobilized by the swelling in a partially retracted position. The proximal penis is flaccid.


==Treatment of phimosis==
==Treatment==
[[File:22-05-18 Retractability 5 Diagr EN.jpg|320px|thumb|right|Scientific studies on the natural development of foreskin retractability]]
Physiologic phimosis, common in males 10 years of age and younger, is normal, and does not require intervention.<ref name="kayaba" /><ref name=hayashi_2011/><ref name="Øster1968" /> Non-retractile foreskin usually becomes retractable during the course of [[puberty]].<ref name="Øster1968" />


If phimosis in older boys or adult males is not causing acute and severe problems, nonsurgical measures may be effective. Choice of treatment is often determined by whether circumcision is viewed as an option of last resort or as the preferred course.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}
Phimosis in infancy is nearly always physiological, and needs to be treated only if it is causing obvious problems such as urinary discomfort or obstruction. In older children and men, phimosis should be distinguished from [[frenulum breve]], which more often requires surgery, though the two conditions can occur together.


===Nonsurgical===
If phimosis in older children or adults is not causing acute and severe problems, nonsurgical measures may be effective. Choice of treatment is often determined by whether the patient (or doctor) views circumcision as an option of last resort to be avoided or as the preferred course. Some men with nonretractile foreskins have no difficulties and see no need for correction.
* Patients are advised to stop exacerbating masturbation techniques and are encouraged to masturbate by moving the foreskin up and down so as to mimic more closely the action of [[sexual intercourse]]. After giving this advice Beaugé noted not once did he have to recommend circumcision.<ref name="Beauge1997"/><ref name="Beauge1991"/>
* Topical [[steroid]] creams such as [[betamethasone]], [[mometasone furoate]] and [[cortisone]] are effective in treating phimosis and should be considered before circumcision.<ref name=hayashi_2011>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hayashi Y, Kojima Y, Mizuno K, Kohri K | title = Prepuce: phimosis, paraphimosis, and circumcision | journal = TheScientificWorldJournal | volume = 11 | pages = 289–301 | date = February 2011 | pmid = 21298220 | pmc = 5719994 | doi = 10.1100/tsw.2011.31 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="zampieri">{{cite journal | vauthors = Zampieri N, Corroppolo M, Camoglio FS, Giacomello L, Ottolenghi A | title = Phimosis: stretching methods with or without application of topical steroids? | journal = The Journal of Pediatrics | volume = 147 | issue = 5 | pages = 705–6 | date = November 2005 | pmid = 16291369 | pmc = | doi = 10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.07.017 | s2cid = 29301071 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Moreno |first1=Gladys |last2=Ramirez |first2=Cristian |last3=Corbalán |first3=Javiera |last4=Peñaloza |first4=Blanca |last5=Morel Marambio |first5=Macarena |last6=Pantoja |first6=Tomas |date=2024-01-25 |title=Topical corticosteroids for treating phimosis in boys |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=CD008973 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD008973.pub3 |issn=1469-493X |pmc=10809033 |pmid=38269441|pmc-embargo-date=January 25, 2025 }}</ref> It is theorized that the steroids work by reducing the body's inflammatory and immune responses, and also by thinning the skin.<ref name=hayashi_2011/>
* Gently stretching of the foreskin can be accomplished manually. Skin that is under [[Tension (physics)|tension]] [[Tissue expansion|expands]] by growing additional cells. There are different ways to stretch the phimosis. If the opening of the foreskin is already large enough, the foreskin is rolled over two fingers and these are carefully pulled apart. If the opening is still too small, then specialised foreskin tissue expander balloons and possibly [[flesh tunnels]] can be used, however as you can see from the link, these were not designed for the foreskin, rather they are used to stretch the ear lobe. The balloon is easily guided under the foreskin for all grades of phimosis and for all shapes of glans and foreskin combinations. The balloon is made of a very high grade FDA approved medical silicone that prevents micro abrasions and also stays in place due to the unique properties of the balloon. The balloon can be worn for 30 minutes each day whilst undertaking normal activities. Flesh tunnels have only been shown to be mildy effective for lower grades of phimosis and were not designed specifically to treat phimosis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.novoglan.com/blog/-patient-centric-review-of-the-experiential-clinical-data-associated-with-the-safety-efficacy-tolerability-usability-of-the-novoglan-foreskin-tissue-expander-to-treat-uncomplicated-phimosis-post-marketing-surveillance-program/|title=patient centric review of the experiential & clinical data associated with the safety, efficacy, tolerability & usability of the Novoglan foreskin tissue expander to treat uncomplicated phimosis - post marketing surveillance program|website=NOVOGLAN}}</ref> Cheaper grades of flesh tunnels can cause microabrasions and many sizes are required. These are inserted into the foreskin opening and should preferably be made of silicone so that they can be folded when inserted and so that they do not interfere when worn.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}} The diameter is gradually increased until the foreskin can be retracted without difficulty. Even phimosis with a diameter of less than a millimetre can be stretched with these rings.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}} Rings in different sizes are also available as stretching sets. Studies involving treating phimosis using topical steroids in conjunction with stretching exercises have reported success rates of up to 96%.<ref name=zampieri/> However, other sources claim "wildly variable reported failure rates (5 – 33 %) and lack of follow-up to adulthood."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://circfacts.org/debunking-corner/|title=Debunking Corner – CircFacts.Org|first=Stephen|last=Moreton}}</ref>


<gallery>
Non surgical methods include:
File:Stretching of foreskin to cure phimosis.jpg|Stretching the foreskin opening with two fingers
File:Stretching of foreskin to cure phimosis using silicon ear plugs.jpg|Stretching the foreskin opening with [[flesh tunnel]] of different diameters
[[File:75 INFLATION jpg.jpg|frame|alt=Phimosis treatment with a specialised foreskin tissue expander|foreskin tissue expansion using super smooth FDA approved silicone balloon - one balloon treats all grades of phimosis.]]
</gallery>


===Surgical===
* Application of topical [[steroid]] cream for 4-6 weeks to the narrow part of the foreskin is relatively simple, less expensive than surgical treatments and highly effective.<ref name="vanHowe1998"/><ref name="World Journal of Urology">[http://www.springerlink.com/content/14844u402164w261/?p=3bc89d1b5b1f403dbdef113912497296&pi=12 Topical steroid application versus circumcision in pediatric patients with phimosis: a prospective randomized placebo controlled clinical trial, World Journal of Urology, 2008, 26, pp.187-190]</ref><ref name="Pediatric Surgery International">[http://www.springerlink.com/content/dr6273tq2xjv74j7/?p=4fb1f517893841ce864d458f84d180da&pi=0 Phimosis and topical steroids: new clinical findings, Pediatric Surgery International, 2007, 23, pp.331-335]</ref> It has replaced circumcision as the preferred treatment method for some physicians in the U.K. [[National Health Service]].<ref name="Berdue2001">{{cite journal |author=Berdeu D, Sauze L, Ha-Vinh P, Blum-Boisgard C |title=Cost-effectiveness analysis of treatments for phimosis: a comparison of surgical and medicinal approaches and their economic effect |journal=BJU Int. |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=239–44 |year=2001 |pmid=11167650 |doi= 10.1046/j.1464-410x.2001.02033.x|url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=1464-4096&date=2001&volume=87&issue=3&spage=239}}<!-- http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/berdeu1/ --></ref><ref name="Chu1999">{{cite journal |author=Chu CC, Chen KC, Diau GY |title=Topical steroid treatment of phimosis in boys |journal=J. Urol. |volume=162 |issue=3 Pt 1 |pages=861–3 |year=1999 |pmid=10458396 |doi= 10.1097/00005392-199909010-00078|url=}}</ref>
[[Image:Preputioplasty.svg|thumb|280px|Preputioplasty:<br />Fig 1. Penis with tight [[phimotic ring]] making it difficult to retract the foreskin.<br />Fig 2. Foreskin retracted under anaesthetic with the phimotic ring or [[stenosis]] constricting the shaft of the penis and creating a "waist".<br />Fig 3. Incision closed laterally.<br />Fig 4. Penis with the loosened foreskin replaced over the glans.]]
* Stretching of the foreskin can be accomplished manually. Skin that is under tension expands by growing additional cells. A permanent increase in size occurs by gentle stretching over a period of time. The treatment is non-traumatic and non-destructive. Manual stretching may be carried out without the aid of a medical doctor. The stretching can also be accomplished with balloons placed under the foreskin skin under [[anaesthesia]],<ref name="Ying1991">{{cite journal |author=He Y, Zhou XH |title=Balloon dilation treatment of phimosis in boys. Report of 512 cases |journal=Chin. Med. J. |volume=104 |issue=6 |pages=491–3 |year=1991 |pmid=1874025 |doi= |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/he-zhou/}}</ref> or with a tool.<ref>[http://www.glansie.com/usa/syohin.htm The Glansie] glansie.com</ref> The [[tissue expansion]] promotes the growth of new skin cells to permanently expand the narrow preputial ring that prevents retraction.
Surgical methods range from the complete removal of the foreskin to more minor operations to relieve foreskin tightness:
* Beaugé treated several hundred adolescents by advising them to change their masturbation habits to closing their hand over their penis and moving it back and forth. Retraction of the foreskin was generally achieved after four weeks and he stated that he never had to refer one for surgery.<ref name="Beauge1997"/><ref name="Beauge1991"/>
* [[Dorsal slit]] (superincision) is a single incision along the upper length of the foreskin from the tip to the corona, exposing the glans without removing any tissue.
* [[penile subincision|Ventral slit]] (subincision) is an incision along the lower length of the foreskin from the tip of the frenulum to the base of the glans, removing the frenulum in the process. Often used when [[frenulum breve]] occurs alongside the phimosis.
* [[Preputioplasty]], in which a limited dorsal slit with transverse closure is made along the constricting band of skin,<ref name="Cuckow1994">{{cite journal | vauthors = Cuckow PM, Rix G, Mouriquand PD | title = Preputial plasty: a good alternative to circumcision | journal = Journal of Pediatric Surgery | volume = 29 | issue = 4 | pages = 561–3 | date = April 1994 | pmid = 8014816 | doi = 10.1016/0022-3468(94)90092-2 }}<!-- http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/cuckow/ --></ref> can be an effective alternative to circumcision.<ref name="vanHowe1998" /> It has the advantage of only limited pain and a short healing duration relative to circumcision, while also avoiding cosmetic effects.<ref name="Cuckow1994" />
* [[Circumcision]] is sometimes performed for phimosis, and is an effective treatment; however, this method has become less common as of 2012.<ref name = "shahid" />


While circumcision prevents phimosis, studies of the incidence of healthy infants circumcised for each prevented case of phimosis are inconsistent.<ref name="Spilsbury2003" /><ref name="Cantu" />
Some may opt for surgery treatment straight away. This consists of the removal of the foreskin or a minor operation to let out the foreskin:
* [[Circumcision]] is sometimes performed for pathological phimosis, and is effective.


==Prognosis==
* [[Preputioplasty]], in which a limited dorsal slit with transverse closure is made along the constricting band of skin<ref name="Cuckow1994">{{cite journal |author=Cuckow PM, Rix G, Mouriquand PD |title=Preputial plasty: a good alternative to circumcision |journal=J. Pediatr. Surg. |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=561–3 |year=1994 |pmid=8014816 |doi= 10.1016/0022-3468(94)90092-2|url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0022-3468(94)90092-2}}<!-- http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/cuckow/ --></ref><ref name="Saxena2000">{{cite journal |author=Saxena AK, Schaarschmidt K, Reich A, Willital GH |title=Non-retractile foreskin: a single center 13-year experience |journal=Int Surg |volume=85 |issue=2 |pages=180–3 |year=2000 |pmid=11071339 |doi= |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/saxena1/}}</ref> can be an effective alternative to full circumcision.<ref name="vanHowe1998" /> It has the advantage of only limited pain and a short time of healing relative to circumcision, and avoids cosmetic effects.
The most acute complication is [[paraphimosis]]. In this condition, the glans is swollen and painful, and the foreskin is immobilized by the swelling in a partially retracted position. The proximal penis is flaccid. Some studies found phimosis to be a risk factor for [[urinary retention]]<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Minagawa T, Murata Y | title = [A case of urinary retention caused by true phimosis] | language = ja | journal = Hinyokika Kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica | volume = 54 | issue = 6 | pages = 427–9 | date = June 2008 | pmid = 18634440 }}</ref> and [[carcinoma of the penis]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Daling JR, Madeleine MM, Johnson LG, Schwartz SM, Shera KA, Wurscher MA, Carter JJ, Porter PL, Galloway DA, McDougall JK, Krieger JN | title = Penile cancer: importance of circumcision, human papillomavirus and smoking in situ and invasive disease | journal = International Journal of Cancer | volume = 116 | issue = 4 | pages = 606–16 | date = September 2005 | pmid = 15825185 | doi = 10.1002/ijc.21009 | doi-access = free }}</ref>


==Incidence==
==Epidemiology==
A number of medical reports of phimosis incidence have been published over the years. They vary widely because of the difficulties of distinguishing physiological phimosis (developmental nonretractility) from pathological phimosis, definitional differences, ascertainment problems, and the multiple additional influences on post-neonatal circumcision rates in cultures where most newborn males are circumcised. A commonly cited incidence statistic for pathological phimosis is 1% of uncircumcised males.<ref name="Spilsbury2003" /><ref name="Cantu" /><ref name="Shankar1999">{{cite journal | vauthors = Shankar KR, Rickwood AM | title = The incidence of phimosis in boys | journal = BJU International | volume = 84 | issue = 1 | pages = 101–2 | date = July 1999 | pmid = 10444134 | doi = 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.00147.x | url = https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f725/df5ea5b0456c52c07713e3de1f194cd4301b.pdf | url-status = dead | s2cid = 20191682 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200228075634/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f725/df5ea5b0456c52c07713e3de1f194cd4301b.pdf | archive-date = 2020-02-28 }} This study gives a low incidence of pathological phimosis (0.6% of uncircumcised boys by age 15 years) by asserting that [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]] is the only indisputable type of pathological phimosis and anything else should be assumed "physiological". Restrictiveness of definition and circularity of reasoning have been criticized.</ref> When phimosis is simply equated with nonretractility of the foreskin after age 3 years, considerably higher incidence rates have been reported.<ref name="Øster1968"/><ref name="Imamaura1997">{{cite journal | vauthors = Imamura E | title = Phimosis of infants and young children in Japan | journal = Acta Paediatrica Japonica | volume = 39 | issue = 4 | pages = 403–5 | date = August 1997 | pmid = 9316279 | doi = 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1997.tb03605.x | s2cid = 19407331 }} A study of phimosis prevalence in over 4,500 Japanese children reporting that over a third of uncircumcised had a nonretractile foreskin by age 3 years.

A number of medical reports of phimosis incidence have been published over the years. They vary widely because of the difficulties of distinguishing physiological phimosis (developmental nonretractility) from pathological phimosis, definitional differences, ascertainment problems, and the multiple additional influences on post-neonatal circumcision rates in cultures where most newborn males are circumcised. A commonly cited incidence statistic for pathological phimosis is 1% of uncircumcised males.<ref name="Cantu" /><ref name="Shankar1999">{{cite journal |author=Shankar KR, Rickwood AM |title=The incidence of phimosis in boys |journal=BJU Int. |volume=84 |issue=1 |pages=101–2 |year=1999 |pmid=10444134 |doi= 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.00147.x|url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=1464-4096&date=1999&volume=84&issue=1&spage=101}} This study gives a low incidence of pathological phimosis (0.6% of uncircumcised boys by age 15 years) by asserting that [[balanitis xerotica obliterans]] is the only indisputable type of pathological phimosis and anything else should be assumed "physiological". Restrictiveness of definition and circularity of reasoning have been criticized.</ref><sup>,</sup><ref name="Spilsbury2003" /> When phimosis is simply equated with nonretractility of the foreskin after age 3 years, considerably higher incidence rates have been reported.<ref name="Oster1968"/><ref name="Imamaura1997">{{cite journal |author=Imamura E |title=Phimosis of infants and young children in Japan |journal=Acta Paediatr Jpn |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=403–5 |year=1997 |pmid=9316279 |doi= |url=}} A study of phimosis prevalence in over 4,500 Japanese children reporting that over a third of uncircumcised had a nonretractile foreskin by age 3 years.
</ref>
</ref>
Others have described incidences in adolescents and adults as high as 50%, though it is likely that many cases of physiological phimosis or partial nonretractility were included.<ref name="Ohjimi1981">{{cite journal |author=Ohjimi T, Ohjimi H |title=Special surgical techniques for relief of phimosis |journal=J Dermatol Surg Oncol |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=326–30 |year=1981 |pmid=7240535 |doi= |url=}}</ref>
Others have described incidences in adolescents and adults as high as 50%, though it is likely that many cases of physiological phimosis or partial nonretractility were included.<ref name="Ohjimi1981">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ohjimi T, Ohjimi H | title = Special surgical techniques for relief of phimosis | journal = The Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology | volume = 7 | issue = 4 | pages = 326–30 | date = April 1981 | pmid = 7240535 | doi = 10.1111/j.1524-4725.1981.tb00650.x }}</ref>


==History==
==Phimosis in history==
*According to some accounts, phimosis prevented [[Louis XVI of France]] from impregnating his wife, [[Marie Antoinette]], for the first seven years of their marriage. She was 14 and he was 15 when they married in 1770. However, the presence and nature of his genital anomaly is not considered certain, and some scholars ([[Vincent Cronin]] and Simone Bertiere) assert that surgical repair would have been mentioned in the records of his medical treatments if it had occurred.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
According to some accounts, phimosis prevented [[Louis XVI of France]] from impregnating his wife, [[Marie Antoinette]], for the first seven years of their marriage, but this theory was later discredited.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=80|title=Circumcision and phimosis in eighteenth century France|website=History of Circumcision|access-date=16 December 2016}}</ref> She was 14 and he was 15 when they married in 1770. However, the presence and nature of his genital anomaly is not considered certain, and some scholars (such as [[Vincent Cronin]] and Simone Bertiere) assert that surgical repair would have been mentioned in the records of his medical treatments if this had indeed occurred.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Non-retractile prepuce in adolescence is normal, common, and usually resolves with increasing maturity.<ref name="Øster1968"/>
*[[United States|US]] President [[James Garfield]] was assassinated by [[Charles J. Guiteau|Charles Guiteau]] in 1881. The autopsy report for Guiteau indicated that he had phimosis. At the time, this led to the simplistic speculation that Guiteau's murderous behavior was due to phimosis-induced insanity.<ref name="circumstition1">{{cite book |author=Hodges FM |chapter=The history of phimosis from antiquity to the present |editor=Milos, Marilyn Fayre; Denniston, George C.; Hodges, Frederick Mansfield |title=Male and female circumcision: medical, legal, and ethical considerations in pediatric practice |publisher=Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers |location=New York |year=1999 |pages=37–62 |isbn=0-306-46131-5 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate= |url=http://www.circumstitions.com/Absurd.html#assassin}}</ref>
*[[Josef Fritzl]] had this condition when he was a child, according to a court psychologist. <ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/19/fritzl-psychiatrist-verdict</ref>


US president [[James A. Garfield|James Garfield]] was assassinated by [[Charles J. Guiteau|Charles Guiteau]] in 1881. Guiteau's autopsy report indicated that he had phimosis. At the time, this led to the speculation that Guiteau's murderous behavior was due to phimosis-induced insanity.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Hodges FM |title=Male and Female Circumcision |chapter=The History of Phimosis from Antiquity to the Present | veditors = Milos MF, Denniston GC, Hodges FM |publisher=Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers |location=New York |year=1999 |pages=37–62 |isbn=978-0-306-46131-6 |doi= 10.1007/978-0-585-39937-9_5}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[paraphimosis]]
* [[preputioplasty]]
* [[Medical analysis of circumcision]]
* [[frenulum breve]]
* [[David Reimer]]


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
* [http://urology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/children/phimosis Phimosis], by the [[University of California, San Francisco]] Urology department
{{Commonscat|Phimosis}}
*[http://www.aap.org/publiced/br_uncircumcised.htm Our son is not circumcised. When will his foreskin retract?] by [[American Academy of Pediatrics]]
*[http://www.cirp.org/library/normal/ Normal development of the foreskin: Birth through age 18] by CIRP
*[http://www.cirp.org/library/treatment/phimosis/ Conservative Treatment of Phimosis: Alternatives to Radical Circumcision] by CIRP
*[http://www.male-initiation.net/welcome.html Male Initiation and the Phimosis Taboos]
*[http://www.male-initiation.net/statistics.html#start Encyclopedia of Phimosis Statistics]
*[http://www.norm-uk.org/ NORM-UK: Information about conservative treatment of phimosis]
*[http://themanitoban.com/features/phimosis-smegma-and-frenulum-breve-oh-my ''The Manitoban'' article on phimosis and frenulum breve]


{{Male diseases of the pelvis and genitals}}
===Pictures===
{{Medical resources
*[http://foreskin.org/phi1.jpg Picture of a penis with phimosis]
| DiseasesDB = 10019
*[http://foreskin.org/pin.htm Pictures of a penis with fully retracted foreskin after successful treatment of phimosis]
| ICD10 = {{ICD10|N|47||n|40}}
| ICD9 = {{ICD9|605}}
| ICDO =
| OMIM =
| MedlinePlus =
| eMedicineSubj = emerg
| eMedicineTopic = 423
| MeshID = D010688
| SNOMED CT = 253854008
| ICD10CM = {{ICD10CM|N47.1}}
}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Diseases of the pelvis, genitals and breasts}}

[[Category:Andrology]]
[[Category:Circumcision debate]]
[[Category:Circumcision debate]]
[[Category:Penis]]
[[Category:Penis disorders]]
[[Category:Urology]]
[[Category:Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate]]
[[Category:Diseases and disorders]]

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[[el:Φίμωση]]
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[[hr:Fimoza]]
[[it:Fimosi]]
[[he:פימוזיס]]
[[nl:Fimosis]]
[[ja:陰茎#包茎(真性包茎)]]
[[no:Fimose]]
[[nds:Phimoos]]
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[[pt:Fimose]]
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[[ru:Фимоз]]
[[sk:Fimóza]]
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[[vi:Hẹp bao quy đầu]]
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Latest revision as of 06:11, 26 December 2024

Phimosis
Pronunciation
SpecialtyItalajes
SymptomsUnable to pull the foreskin back past the glans[3]
ComplicationsBalanitis,[3] penile cancer [citation needed], urinary retention
Usual onsetNormal at birth[3]
DurationTypically resolves by 18 years old[4]
CausesNormal, balanitis, balanitis xerotica obliterans[5]
Risk factorsDiaper rash, poor cleaning, diabetes[6]
Differential diagnosisHair tourniquet, lymphedema of the penis[6]
PreventionSteroid cream, stretching exercises, circumcision[7]
Frequency1%–2% (in uncircumcised males 18 years or older)[8][4]

Phimosis (from Greek φίμωσις phimōsis 'muzzling'[9][10][11]) is a condition in which the foreskin of the penis cannot stretch to allow it to be pulled back past the glans.[3] A balloon-like swelling under the foreskin may occur with urination.[3] In teenagers and adults, it may result in pain during an erection, but is otherwise not painful.[3] Those affected are at greater risk of inflammation of the glans, known as balanitis, and other complications.[3]

In infancy, phimosis is considered physiological (normal).[11] At birth, the foreskin is naturally adhered to the glans, and cannot be retracted. As the child ages, in most cases, the foreskin will naturally detach. In young boys, it is normal not to be able to pull back the foreskin at all.[7] Over 90% of cases resolve by the age of seven, although full retraction is still prevented by balanopreputial adhesions in over half at this age.[5][7] Occasionally, phimosis may be caused by an underlying condition such as scarring due to balanitis or balanitis xerotica obliterans.[5] This can typically be diagnosed by seeing scarring of the opening of the foreskin.[5]

Generally, treatment is not considered necessary unless the foreskin still cannot be retracted by the age of 18.[4] Efforts to pull back the foreskin during the early years of a young male's life should not be attempted.[7] For those in whom the condition does not improve further, time can be given or a steroid cream may be used to attempt to loosen the tight skin.[7] If this method, combined with stretching exercises, is not effective, then other treatments such as circumcision may be recommended.[7] A potential complication of phimosis is paraphimosis, where the tight foreskin becomes trapped behind the glans.[5]

Signs and symptoms

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At birth, the inner layer of the foreskin is sealed to the glans penis. The foreskin is usually non-retractable in early childhood, and some males may reach the age of 18 before their foreskin can be fully retracted.[12]

Medical associations advise not to retract the foreskin of an infant, in order to prevent scarring.[13][14] Some argue that non-retractability may "be considered normal for males up to and including adolescence."[15][16] Hill states that full retractability of the foreskin may not be achieved until late childhood or early adulthood.[17] A Danish survey found that the mean age of first foreskin retraction is 10.4 years.[18]

Rickwood, as well as other authors, has suggested that true phimosis is over-diagnosed due to failure to distinguish between normal developmental non-retractability and a pathological condition.[19][20][21] Some authors use the terms "physiologic" and "pathologic" to distinguish between these types of phimosis;[22] others use the term "non-retractile foreskin" to distinguish this developmental condition from pathologic phimosis.[19]

In some cases, a cause may not be clear, or it may be difficult to distinguish physiological phimosis from pathological phimosis if an infant appears to have discomfort while urinating or demonstrates obvious ballooning of the foreskin. However, ballooning does not indicate urinary obstruction.[23]

In women, a comparable condition is known as "clitoral phimosis", whereby the clitoral hood cannot be retracted, limiting exposure of the glans clitoridis.[24]

A male with congenital phimosis

Severity

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  • Score 1: full retraction of foreskin, tight behind the glans.
  • Score 2: partial exposure of glans, prepuce (not congenital adhesions) limiting factor.
  • Score 3: partial retraction, meatus just visible.
  • Score 4: slight retraction, but some distance between tip and glans, i.e. neither meatus nor glans can be exposed.
  • Score 5: absolutely no retraction of the foreskin.[25]

Cause

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There are three mechanical conditions that prevent foreskin retraction:

  • The tip of the foreskin is too narrow to pass over the glans penis. This is normal in children and adolescents.[26][27]
  • The inner surface of the foreskin is fused with the glans penis. This is normal in children and adolescents but abnormal in adults.[27]

Pathological phimosis (as opposed to the natural non-retractability of the foreskin in childhood) is rare, and the causes are varied. Some cases may arise from balanitis (inflammation of the glans penis).[28]

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (thought to be the same condition as balanitis xerotica obliterans) is regarded as a common (or even the main)[29] cause of pathological phimosis.[30] This is a skin condition of unknown origin that causes a whitish ring of indurated tissue (a cicatrix) to form near the tip of the prepuce. This inelastic tissue prevents retraction.

Phimosis may occur after other types of chronic inflammation (such as balanoposthitis), repeated catheterization, or forcible foreskin retraction.[31]

Phimosis may also arise in untreated diabetics due to the presence of glucose in their urine giving rise to infection in the foreskin.[32]

Beaugé noted that unusual masturbation practices, such as thrusting against the bed or rubbing the foreskin forward, may cause phimosis. Patients are advised to stop exacerbating masturbation techniques and are encouraged to masturbate by moving the foreskin up and down so as to mimic more closely the action of sexual intercourse. After giving this advice Beaugé noted not once did he have to recommend circumcision.[33][34]

Phimosis in older boys and adult males can vary in severity, with some able to retract their foreskin partially (relative phimosis), while others are completely unable to retract their foreskin, even when the penis is in a flaccid state (full phimosis).

Treatment

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Scientific studies on the natural development of foreskin retractability

Physiologic phimosis, common in males 10 years of age and younger, is normal, and does not require intervention.[26][35][27] Non-retractile foreskin usually becomes retractable during the course of puberty.[27]

If phimosis in older boys or adult males is not causing acute and severe problems, nonsurgical measures may be effective. Choice of treatment is often determined by whether circumcision is viewed as an option of last resort or as the preferred course.[citation needed]

Nonsurgical

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  • Patients are advised to stop exacerbating masturbation techniques and are encouraged to masturbate by moving the foreskin up and down so as to mimic more closely the action of sexual intercourse. After giving this advice Beaugé noted not once did he have to recommend circumcision.[33][34]
  • Topical steroid creams such as betamethasone, mometasone furoate and cortisone are effective in treating phimosis and should be considered before circumcision.[35][36][37] It is theorized that the steroids work by reducing the body's inflammatory and immune responses, and also by thinning the skin.[35]
  • Gently stretching of the foreskin can be accomplished manually. Skin that is under tension expands by growing additional cells. There are different ways to stretch the phimosis. If the opening of the foreskin is already large enough, the foreskin is rolled over two fingers and these are carefully pulled apart. If the opening is still too small, then specialised foreskin tissue expander balloons and possibly flesh tunnels can be used, however as you can see from the link, these were not designed for the foreskin, rather they are used to stretch the ear lobe. The balloon is easily guided under the foreskin for all grades of phimosis and for all shapes of glans and foreskin combinations. The balloon is made of a very high grade FDA approved medical silicone that prevents micro abrasions and also stays in place due to the unique properties of the balloon. The balloon can be worn for 30 minutes each day whilst undertaking normal activities. Flesh tunnels have only been shown to be mildy effective for lower grades of phimosis and were not designed specifically to treat phimosis.[38] Cheaper grades of flesh tunnels can cause microabrasions and many sizes are required. These are inserted into the foreskin opening and should preferably be made of silicone so that they can be folded when inserted and so that they do not interfere when worn.[citation needed] The diameter is gradually increased until the foreskin can be retracted without difficulty. Even phimosis with a diameter of less than a millimetre can be stretched with these rings.[citation needed] Rings in different sizes are also available as stretching sets. Studies involving treating phimosis using topical steroids in conjunction with stretching exercises have reported success rates of up to 96%.[36] However, other sources claim "wildly variable reported failure rates (5 – 33 %) and lack of follow-up to adulthood."[39]

Surgical

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Preputioplasty:
Fig 1. Penis with tight phimotic ring making it difficult to retract the foreskin.
Fig 2. Foreskin retracted under anaesthetic with the phimotic ring or stenosis constricting the shaft of the penis and creating a "waist".
Fig 3. Incision closed laterally.
Fig 4. Penis with the loosened foreskin replaced over the glans.

Surgical methods range from the complete removal of the foreskin to more minor operations to relieve foreskin tightness:

  • Dorsal slit (superincision) is a single incision along the upper length of the foreskin from the tip to the corona, exposing the glans without removing any tissue.
  • Ventral slit (subincision) is an incision along the lower length of the foreskin from the tip of the frenulum to the base of the glans, removing the frenulum in the process. Often used when frenulum breve occurs alongside the phimosis.
  • Preputioplasty, in which a limited dorsal slit with transverse closure is made along the constricting band of skin,[40] can be an effective alternative to circumcision.[21] It has the advantage of only limited pain and a short healing duration relative to circumcision, while also avoiding cosmetic effects.[40]
  • Circumcision is sometimes performed for phimosis, and is an effective treatment; however, this method has become less common as of 2012.[12]

While circumcision prevents phimosis, studies of the incidence of healthy infants circumcised for each prevented case of phimosis are inconsistent.[20][31]

Prognosis

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The most acute complication is paraphimosis. In this condition, the glans is swollen and painful, and the foreskin is immobilized by the swelling in a partially retracted position. The proximal penis is flaccid. Some studies found phimosis to be a risk factor for urinary retention[41] and carcinoma of the penis.[42]

Epidemiology

[edit]

A number of medical reports of phimosis incidence have been published over the years. They vary widely because of the difficulties of distinguishing physiological phimosis (developmental nonretractility) from pathological phimosis, definitional differences, ascertainment problems, and the multiple additional influences on post-neonatal circumcision rates in cultures where most newborn males are circumcised. A commonly cited incidence statistic for pathological phimosis is 1% of uncircumcised males.[20][31][43] When phimosis is simply equated with nonretractility of the foreskin after age 3 years, considerably higher incidence rates have been reported.[27][44] Others have described incidences in adolescents and adults as high as 50%, though it is likely that many cases of physiological phimosis or partial nonretractility were included.[45]

History

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According to some accounts, phimosis prevented Louis XVI of France from impregnating his wife, Marie Antoinette, for the first seven years of their marriage, but this theory was later discredited.[46] She was 14 and he was 15 when they married in 1770. However, the presence and nature of his genital anomaly is not considered certain, and some scholars (such as Vincent Cronin and Simone Bertiere) assert that surgical repair would have been mentioned in the records of his medical treatments if this had indeed occurred.[citation needed] Non-retractile prepuce in adolescence is normal, common, and usually resolves with increasing maturity.[27]

US president James Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau in 1881. Guiteau's autopsy report indicated that he had phimosis. At the time, this led to the speculation that Guiteau's murderous behavior was due to phimosis-induced insanity.[47]

References

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  1. ^ OED 2nd edition, 1989 as /faɪˈməʊsɪs/.
  2. ^ Entry "phimosis" in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Archived 2017-09-22 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Phimosis". PubMed Health. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "Natural Foreskin Retraction in Intact Children and Teens". Peaceful Parenting.
  5. ^ a b c d e McGregor TB, Pike JG, Leonard MP (March 2007). "Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: approach to the phimotic foreskin". Canadian Family Physician. 53 (3): 445–8. PMC 1949079. PMID 17872680.
  6. ^ a b Domino FJ, Baldor RA, Golding J (2013). The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2014. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-4511-8850-9.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "What are the treatment options for phimosis?". PubMed Health. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Phimosis". Doctors Opposing Circumcision. 6 July 2016.
  9. ^ φίμωσις, φιμός. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  10. ^ Harper D. "phimosis". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  11. ^ a b Kirk RH, Winslet MC (2007). Essential General Surgical Operations. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 365. ISBN 978-0-443-10314-8. Archived from the original on 5 November 2017.
  12. ^ a b Shahid SK (5 March 2012). "Phimosis in children". ISRN Urology. 2012: 707329. doi:10.5402/2012/707329. PMC 3329654. PMID 23002427.
  13. ^ "Care of the Uncircumcised Penis". Guide for parents. American Academy of Pediatrics. September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Caring for an uncircumcised penis". Information for parents. Canadian Paediatric Society. July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012.
  15. ^ Huntley JS, Bourne MC, Munro FD, Wilson-Storey D (September 2003). "Troubles with the foreskin: one hundred consecutive referrals to paediatric surgeons". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 96 (9): 449–51. doi:10.1177/014107680309600908. PMC 539600. PMID 12949201.
  16. ^ Denniston GC, Hill G (October 2010). "Gairdner was wrong". Canadian Family Physician. 56 (10): 986–7. PMC 2954072. PMID 20944034. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  17. ^ Hill G (June 2003). "Circumcision for phimosis and other medical indications in Western Australian boys". The Medical Journal of Australia. 178 (11): 587, author reply 589–90. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05368.x. PMID 12765511. S2CID 11588415. Archived from the original on 30 August 2008.
  18. ^ Thorvaldsen MA, Meyhoff HH (April 2005). "[Pathological or physiological phimosis?]" (PDF). Ugeskrift for Laeger. 167 (17): 1858–62. PMID 15929334. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  19. ^ a b Rickwood AM, Walker J (September 1989). "Is phimosis overdiagnosed in boys and are too many circumcisions performed in consequence?". Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 71 (5): 275–7. PMC 2499015. PMID 2802472. Authors review English referral statistics and suggest phimosis is overdiagnosed, especially in boys under 5 years, because of confusion with developmentally nonretractile foreskin.
  20. ^ a b c Spilsbury K, Semmens JB, Wisniewski ZS, Holman CD (February 2003). "Circumcision for phimosis and other medical indications in Western Australian boys". The Medical Journal of Australia. 178 (4): 155–8. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05130.x. PMID 12580740. S2CID 9842095. Archived from the original on 9 November 2004.. Recent Australian statistics with good discussion of ascertainment problems arising from surgical statistics.
  21. ^ a b Van Howe RS (October 1998). "Cost-effective treatment of phimosis". Pediatrics. 102 (4): E43. doi:10.1542/peds.102.4.e43. PMID 9755280. Archived from the original on 19 August 2009. A review of estimated costs and complications of 3 phimosis treatments (topical steroids, praeputioplasty, and surgical circumcision). The review concludes that topical steroids should be tried first, and praeputioplasty has advantages over surgical circumcision. This article also provides a good discussion of the difficulty distinguishing pathological from physiological phimosis in young children and alleges inflation of phimosis statistics for purposes of securing insurance coverage for post-neonatal circumcision in the United States.
  22. ^ McGregor TB, Pike JG, Leonard MP (March 2007). "Pathologic and physiologic phimosis: approach to the phimotic foreskin". Canadian Family Physician. 53 (3): 445–8. PMC 1949079. PMID 17872680.
  23. ^ Babu R, Harrison SK, Hutton KA (August 2004). "Ballooning of the foreskin and physiological phimosis: is there any objective evidence of obstructed voiding?". BJU International. 94 (3): 384–7. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2004.04935.x. PMID 15291873. S2CID 32118768.
  24. ^ Munarriz R, Talakoub L, Kuohung W, Gioia M, Hoag L, Flaherty E, et al. (2002). "The prevalence of phimosis of the clitoris in women presenting to the sexual dysfunction clinic: lack of correlation to disorders of desire, arousal and orgasm". Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 28 (Suppl 1): 181–5. doi:10.1080/00926230252851302. PMID 11898701. S2CID 45521652.
  25. ^ Kikiros CS, Beasley SW, Woodward AA (1 May 1993). "The response of phimosis to local steroid application" (PDF). Pediatric Surgery International. 8 (4): 329–332. doi:10.1007/BF00173357. ISSN 0179-0358. S2CID 28662055. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016.
  26. ^ a b Kayaba H, Tamura H, Kitajima S, Fujiwara Y, Kato T, Kato T (November 1996). "Analysis of shape and retractability of the prepuce in 603 Japanese boys". The Journal of Urology. 156 (5): 1813–5. doi:10.1016/S0022-5347(01)65544-7. PMID 8863623.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g Oster J (April 1968). "Further fate of the foreskin. Incidence of preputial adhesions, phimosis, and smegma among Danish schoolboys". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 43 (228): 200–3. doi:10.1136/adc.43.228.200. PMC 2019851. PMID 5689532.
  28. ^ Edwards S (June 1996). "Balanitis and balanoposthitis: a review". Genitourinary Medicine. 72 (3): 155–9. doi:10.1136/sti.72.3.155. PMC 1195642. PMID 8707315.
  29. ^ Bolla G, Sartore G, Longo L, Rossi C (2005). "[The sclero-atrophic lichen as principal cause of acquired phimosis in pediatric age]". La Pediatria Medica e Chirurgica (in Italian). 27 (3–4): 91–3. PMID 16910457.
  30. ^ Buechner SA (September 2002). "Common skin disorders of the penis". BJU International. 90 (5): 498–506. doi:10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.02962.x. PMID 12175386. S2CID 45605100.
  31. ^ a b c Cantu Jr. S. Phimosis and paraphimosis at eMedicine
  32. ^ Bromage SJ, Crump A, Pearce I (February 2008). "Phimosis as a presenting feature of diabetes". BJU International. 101 (3): 338–40. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.07274.x. PMID 18005214. S2CID 5694950. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013.
  33. ^ a b Beaugé M (1997). "The causes of adolescent phimosis". Br J Sex Med. 26 (Sept/Oct).
  34. ^ a b Beaugé M (1991). "Conservative Treatment of Primary Phimosis in Adolescents". Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Antoine University.
  35. ^ a b c Hayashi Y, Kojima Y, Mizuno K, Kohri K (February 2011). "Prepuce: phimosis, paraphimosis, and circumcision". TheScientificWorldJournal. 11: 289–301. doi:10.1100/tsw.2011.31. PMC 5719994. PMID 21298220.
  36. ^ a b Zampieri N, Corroppolo M, Camoglio FS, Giacomello L, Ottolenghi A (November 2005). "Phimosis: stretching methods with or without application of topical steroids?". The Journal of Pediatrics. 147 (5): 705–6. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.07.017. PMID 16291369. S2CID 29301071.
  37. ^ Moreno G, Ramirez C, Corbalán J, Peñaloza B, Morel Marambio M, Pantoja T (25 January 2024). "Topical corticosteroids for treating phimosis in boys". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 1 (1): CD008973. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008973.pub3. ISSN 1469-493X. PMC 10809033. PMID 38269441.
  38. ^ "patient centric review of the experiential & clinical data associated with the safety, efficacy, tolerability & usability of the Novoglan foreskin tissue expander to treat uncomplicated phimosis - post marketing surveillance program". NOVOGLAN.
  39. ^ Moreton S. "Debunking Corner – CircFacts.Org".
  40. ^ a b Cuckow PM, Rix G, Mouriquand PD (April 1994). "Preputial plasty: a good alternative to circumcision". Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 29 (4): 561–3. doi:10.1016/0022-3468(94)90092-2. PMID 8014816.
  41. ^ Minagawa T, Murata Y (June 2008). "[A case of urinary retention caused by true phimosis]". Hinyokika Kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica (in Japanese). 54 (6): 427–9. PMID 18634440.
  42. ^ Daling JR, Madeleine MM, Johnson LG, Schwartz SM, Shera KA, Wurscher MA, et al. (September 2005). "Penile cancer: importance of circumcision, human papillomavirus and smoking in situ and invasive disease". International Journal of Cancer. 116 (4): 606–16. doi:10.1002/ijc.21009. PMID 15825185.
  43. ^ Shankar KR, Rickwood AM (July 1999). "The incidence of phimosis in boys" (PDF). BJU International. 84 (1): 101–2. doi:10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.00147.x. PMID 10444134. S2CID 20191682. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2020. This study gives a low incidence of pathological phimosis (0.6% of uncircumcised boys by age 15 years) by asserting that balanitis xerotica obliterans is the only indisputable type of pathological phimosis and anything else should be assumed "physiological". Restrictiveness of definition and circularity of reasoning have been criticized.
  44. ^ Imamura E (August 1997). "Phimosis of infants and young children in Japan". Acta Paediatrica Japonica. 39 (4): 403–5. doi:10.1111/j.1442-200x.1997.tb03605.x. PMID 9316279. S2CID 19407331. A study of phimosis prevalence in over 4,500 Japanese children reporting that over a third of uncircumcised had a nonretractile foreskin by age 3 years.
  45. ^ Ohjimi T, Ohjimi H (April 1981). "Special surgical techniques for relief of phimosis". The Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology. 7 (4): 326–30. doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.1981.tb00650.x. PMID 7240535.
  46. ^ "Circumcision and phimosis in eighteenth century France". History of Circumcision. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  47. ^ Hodges FM (1999). "The History of Phimosis from Antiquity to the Present". In Milos MF, Denniston GC, Hodges FM (eds.). Male and Female Circumcision. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. pp. 37–62. doi:10.1007/978-0-585-39937-9_5. ISBN 978-0-306-46131-6.
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